After a very long gestation period, my book “Orange omelettes and dusky wanderers” has now been published by Calusa Bay Publications, Seychelles. It describes my experiences in Seychelles from late 1971 to the present. Based around the biology of my beloved Sooty Terns, it also embraces other areas of conservation in Seychelles, illustrating the leading … More Orange omelettes and dusky wanderers

On 25 May Christine and I, along with Wilna Accouche, who replaced Arjan de Groene as General Manager of the Seychelles NGO Green Islands Foundation (GIF), travelled in heavy seas to North Island. On arrival our belongings were taken to the island’s biosecurity centre, where all incoming goods are inspected in a rodent-proof room (to … More Silence on North Island

The project aimed at eradication Common Mynas from North Island, Seychelles, funded by North Island and overseen by Green Islands Foundation (see blog posts of 21 May, 8 June, 11 August and 7 September) continues. Maxine Little and Jeremy Waters, the current volunteers, began work on 5 August, with Christine and me training them in … More North Island myna eradication update

In November 2013 a whirlwind hit Seychelles. On Denis Island in 2010 I, with the help of volunteers, had made a very promising start to the eradication of Common Mynas to prevent their predation of some of Seychelles’ endemic birds that had been on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, the project had waned in 2011 … More Arjan de Groene, General manager of Green Islands Foundation 2013-2016

In May 2016 Christine and I visited North Island, Seychelles, to begin another WildWings Bird Mangement-led attempt to eradicate Common Mynas from the island (see blog post of 21 May 2016). The project is being funded by both GEF/UNDP and North Island and managed by Green Islands Foundation, and is undertaken by volunteers that Christine … More News update from North Island, Seychelles

“Invasive alien species” (IAS) is the term used to describe animal and plant (and even bacteria, viruses) species that have been deliberately or accidentally introduced to new parts of the world, generally through human a gency, and having been introduced they have the capacity to thrive in their new environments. In so doing they can … More Invasive Alien Species (IAS) – not just on small islands

Dyllis Pomponeau and Krystel D’Offay, students at the University of Seychelles, volunteered to spend a month on North Island to participate in the myna eradication project. They were recruited by Arjan de Groene, General Manager of Green Islands Foundation (GIF), the NGO administering the project, of which the practical operation is being led by WildWings … More Seychellois students enjoyed their work on North Island

Looking towards the south-west from North Island’s west beach, Silhouette Island rises majestically from the ocean as a massive rock. It is, in fact, Seychelles’ fourth largest Island but it differs from the three larger islands (Mahe, Praslin and La Digue) in never having been developed to the same extent. Its human community has always … More Silhouette, North Island’s bigger sister